Journalist and author Mic Wright on what's really going on behind the headlines, why we don't get the news we deserve.

From those who own the news and the battle for balance at the BBC, to the intricacies of political journalism and the trade's ethics, the modern media is as complex as it is flawed. Mic Wright, author of Breaking: How the Media Works, When it Doesn't, and Why it Matters, visits the School of Journalism, Media, and Culture at Cardiff University for a talk about what's really going on behind the headlines, why we don't get the news we deserve, and what's driving the stories we are told.

The modern media is breaking. Now, more than ever, the media is crucial in shaping what we know about the world around us. So what happens when this vital part of our society fails in its basic role and how can we even begin to understand the mess it's in?

James O'Brien called Breaking, "riveting and forensic," while Samira Ahmed said it is "brimming with intelligence, energy, ethics and impeccable research," and The Big Issue called it "an authoritative guide to improving your media literacy".

Mic Wright is a reporter, journalist, and media critic. After studying at Cambridge, he started out on Pensions World magazine before moving to Stuff and then the music magazine Q. His work has appeared in practically every national newspaper including Guardian, Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph. He writes the media criticism newsletter 'Conquest of the Useless' and has appeared on national and international broadcast platforms including the BBC, Sky News, CNN and Al Jazeera.

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